To acquaint you with our core philosophies, we want to draw your attention to six major

myths that distort the perception of the uninformed and ultimately lead to poor college decisions.

In this report, we focus on the underlying philosophies which drive the strategies we suggest our clients put into

action. These insights have been derived from years of personal experience, and to reinforce these points, we

also want to acquaint you with the work of educator-journalist, Loren Pope.  Mr. Pope has dedicated much of his

professional career to addressing the lack of consumer information on colleges, as well as the transfer, drop-out and

failure rates resulting from uninformed choices. The following excerpt from the introduction to Pope's revised edition

of Looking Beyond The Ivy League, articulates one of our most fundamental tenets:

" Every year brings more proof that a college's effect on one's life has little to do with its prestige...we hope we have made

even more obvious the great truth that the key to the rich, full, successful life is in examining oneself honestly

and critically and making the college choice that is suitable rather than fashionable."

There is no doubt about the fact that there is a hierarchy in how colleges are perceived by the general public. The elite

private colleges and their counterparts have a "name-brand" image that has been forged into the public consciousness for

hundreds of years. But is that prestige all that it's cracked up to be? You can't get into medical school with a C+

average from any name school, but you can with a B+ average and good MCAT (Medical College Admission Test)

scores from a  host of good colleges. What counts is your record and your abilities. Furthermore, five years out

of college and usually a lot sooner, a student's own qualities will be deciding whether he gets a raise, a promotion,

is courted for another job, or has the vision to see new opportunities and the imagination to create a new career.

Even if the name on the diploma helped get the first job because it was taken as evidence of his intelligence, that

would be the limit of its leverage because most people change jobs at least once in the first five years. According

to Pope, if the Ivies and their counterparts were as "puissant as they are fashionable" their graduates should have

a stranglehold on all the honors lists and positions of power, especially since they have their pick of the country's

best academic performers in the admissions process but they don't.  A disproportionate share of the honors has

always been taken by those colleges outside the US News & World Report Top 25!  Furthermore, many are not

even on the east coast. Research conducted to date strongly indicates that many of the smaller, less highly rated

colleges in the mid-Atlantic, south, mid-West and far West regions of the country produce higher scores on the

MCATs, have a higher percentage graduates who attain PhD degrees and even more than their share of entries in

Who's Who in America.  And guess what?  Many of them offer merit scholarships which are not available from their

more fashionable counterparts.

The usual thinking is that large universities offer better teaching, wider course selection and a more diverse student body

than the small college. But quite the opposite is true. Many large universities are heavily focused on research, publishing,

consulting and graduate teaching. That is where the rewards are for the faculty.  Some of the best universities leave over

70% of the undergraduate teaching load to graduate assistants. The undergraduate student is cheated when, by virtue of

having many classes in large lecture halls, the learning process becomes passive, focused on note taking rather than

participatory discussion and critical thinking. There are few opportunities for meaningful interactions with professors - one

of the necessities of a good undergraduate experience. Often students from small high schools or small communities fail to

realize how assertive they must be and how well organized they must become in order to satisfactorily resolve questions

regarding academics, procedures and financial aid in an environment of 15,000+ students. As far as broader course

selection is concerned, budget crunches in recent years have made it so difficult to get even the required courses that in

many top public universities it takes five or more years to get a degree.  There are exceptions, especially at larger universities

offering Honors Programs where students receive a superior undergraduate education and are exposed to outstanding

professors.  If you are thinking "big university", look for an Honors Program.

Interestingly enough, it may be cheaper to go 600-1500 miles away if doing so improves your opportunities for need based

financial aid or a merit based scholarship. We have seen hundreds of students with the right financial aid packages find it

less expensive to attend a "far-away private college" with a hefty sticker price, than to attend a public university closer to

home. And travel costs are not nearly the problem most parents fear. If the student is in a challenging college, trips home

should be few even during the freshman year. Doesn't the college library deserve some weekend time, too?  Availability of

an airport is often more relevant than the distance from home in miles. And don't forget about looking into credit cards that

offer free miles. If your college accepts MasterCard or Visa, charge your tuition costs on a card that rewards you with free

air miles and get a free mile for every dollar you charge. Just make sure to pay your balance with the funds you have

designated for college expenses.

If you believe this, we have a bridge for sale that we'd like to discuss with you! Over 95% of all financial aid is directly

administered by the colleges. This includes institutional grants and scholarships and the federal student aid programs.

The remainder of the scholarship money comes from the private sector and requires a separate application. If your student

has exceptional SAT or ACT scores or very unusual talents, he or she might be a candidate for a national private scholarship, but

the competition is intense. A few years ago, we contacted a private agency in Texas that awarded one scholarship for

$1,000. When we called, they had received over 20,000 applications!  The majority of students should look for private

scholarships from their local civic organizations.  Rising college costs have spawned an industry that thrives on

propagating the unused billions myth. You will inevitably receive notices in the mail that "a new addition

to our database is now available", or some other marketing hype geared to entice you to pay for a mail-order computerized

scholarship search. Don't be taken in by these companies. Your high school or state agency most likely has a computer

search that you can do for free. Certainly no private computerized scholarship search should cost more than $75 unless

you are also provided with professional consultation and personal follow through.

Of all the myths we have covered so far, this may be the most dangerous. We have come to equate

computers with rapid access to accurate information.  The plethora of college search programs offered commercially,

through well intentioned employers or on the Internet and at various websites, leads one to believe that he need go no

further. Nothing could be further from the truth. While these are valuable information resources, as is a library, a

tremendous amount of additional effort is needed to assure yourself of a valid and wise list of choices. You must not

overlook (1) the amount of money you can really afford for college each year, and (2) how well the student's personality

traits, learning skills and academic attitude really fit the size, cost and competitive nature of the colleges listed.  It is also

important that you find methodology for refining your list to a manageable number (6-10) in a timely fashion. You won't find

these essential features in a free website or in a simple computer search report. This requires assessments not available on

the Internet and not addressed in a simple search based on personal preferences, grades and test scores. Also keep in

mind that you won't have any professional dialogue or recourse with most website’s approach. And who knows how

accurate the data is that you will be using? What you see is what you get!

Sadly, most web sites offering "free" information ultimately lead back to one of two sources:  a bank (or other lending institution) that

wants your loan business or a publisher that wants to sell you books or other print literature.  Don't believe everything you read at

that free web site.  It could be your undoing.

To confidently make a good, informed, affordable decision in May of one's senior year, you must have a

thorough plan of action. It is very difficult to overcome a late start. If you begin this process any later than

the spring of junior year, you are inviting trouble.  We recommend that you grab your calendar at the end of

Grade 10 and start thinking this through.